How To Make A DIY Canister Filter

(Complete list of parts at the bottom of page)

Pump used to run this filter:

You may also need:

Hose fittings

Ceramic ring media

Bulkheads

Filter padding

DIY canister filters are a great way to filter your aquarium. Traditional name brand canister filters are often very expensive ($200+) and offer little customization. Here we present a design for a fully custom DIY canister filter using a ~7.6 liter cooler and an EcoPlus in-line/submersible powerhead. This filter project is meant to be a rough guide, something that inspires you to think creatively and adapt new aspects of aquarium filter design.

You can make a DIY canister filter out of several different water tight containers and are not limited to using a water cooler like we do in this video. There are several different ways to plumb your external canister filter and we just use a basic input and output units that we’ve showed you how to make in individual videos. If you run into any issues with your canister filter (leaks), don’t forget that you can always use silicone to patch up weak spots. Making external aquarium filters takes a lot of trial and error, so don’t be surprised if at first your project isn’t perfect.